The Journey of Hearts and Magic
by Jeymie
Summary: Harry is burdened by the death of his godfather and Cedric, and is tired of everything being kept a secret. Sakura, Li, and Eriol receive strange letters delivered by owls with a plea for help. Can they help Harry find his path before the darkness rules?
1. Prologue

I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura or Harry Potter. I will be adjusting timelines and events to suite my own purposes. This IS alternate reality so if the timeline doesn't measure up, well, too bad. There will be a few spoilers. Hope you enjoy the story. Btw, there will be a bit of mispelling in the beginning because the prolouge is done as journal entries starting from when Sakura is young. This is intentional.

Deer Dioree,

My Ka-san dide toda. I am veree sad. neechan saes kasan is in the pretee plas in the ski. I hop shee is hape. Tousan is criing. I want her to hug me.

Sakura  
Age 3

Dear Diary,

Kaa-san still comes to me in my dreams. She's watching over Nee-chan and I. I know Nee-chan can still see her even though he says he can't any more. Oh well, I know she's here. She teaches me things that she says ladies with my future need to know. She won't tell me what she means, but says I'll know some day.

Sakura  
Age 7

Dear Diary,

Today was really weird. I was home alone and heard strange noises in Tou-san's study. I went to check it out and found the book from my dreams. When I opened it, alot of cards flew everywhere, and Kero, the guardian beast of the seal, made me a cardcaptor. I don't know if I can do it, but Kero thinks I can. All I can do is try. Is this what Kaa-san was preparing me for?

Sakura  
Age 10

Dear Diary,

I did it! Syaoran and Meilin came back to visit us for the Arts Festival. I turned the Sealed Card into a Sakura Card, and Syaoran didn't have to give up his feelings for me! And I told him I love him! Can you believe it? I'm so happy. When Li-sama found out, she asked if I would move to Hong Kong and be trained up as a proper Mistress of the Li clan. I'm officially engaged to Syaoran! Tou-san said I should go. Toya wasn't very happy about it, but he was ok once Li-sama invited him, Yukito, and Kero to come along. They will be training as something, but no one is telling me what. Oh, and Tomoyo is comming to! She's going to start training in the ways of the clan so that she can act as my advisor as well as to the godmother of the grandchildren Li-sama is expecting someday. She is just happy to be able to still make me clothes. Oh! They also want to train me to use my magic for more than just the cards. I can't wait to start!

Sakura  
Age 12

Dear Diary,

I've been having weird dreams lately. In the beginning, I'm in a peaceful meadow and it's the middle of the day. I'm just standing there, and a baby bird falls out of no where. It's small and black with green eyes, and it looks to young to fly. I start petting it when the sky clouds over. The clouds are a dark black and look very angry. Suddenly, thousands of snakes come out of the forest surrounding the meadow. They cover the ground, you can't even see the grass. They consume everything. I hold the bird up and he tries to fly, but he can't. The snakes cover me, trying to get to the bird. All I hear is the hissing and a woman screaming at me to teach him to fly. What could this mean?

Sakura  
Age 16

Dear Diary,

I received a weird letter today. It didn't come by post, either. It was carried in by an owl! It was an invitation to Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Syaoran and Eriol each received one as well. The elders say that Syaoran and I are to attend and learn more about their branches of magic as well as help protect the school against a powerful darkness in their world. I'm a little worried, but as long as Syaoran and I are together nothing too terrible can happen. I know Eriol is going to be depressed without Tomoyo there, though. Oh! Did I tell you? He finally proposed! We were all wondering how much longer it would take him to pop the question. Well, I need to get to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. Oh, and the dreams are getting clearer.

Sakura  
Age 16

Sakura yawned, stretching her arms and neck. She closed her diary and put it away before turning off the light and slipping further under the covers. "Kero-chan, what's Hogwart's like?" She asked her guardian.

Kero simply yawned and scratched himself sleepily. "I don't know. Master Clow went long before I was created. But, I know it's a magical place and you'll learn a lot."

Sakura smiled at his answer and turned over. "Ayasumi, Kero-chan." Giggling when she was answered by a snore, she drifted off to sleep.


	2. The Journey Begins

Sakura stood in the middle of a meadow, her face tilted back. She basked in the warmth, breathing in the fresh air and just listening to the rustling of nature around her. She suddenly hears a frantic chirping and opens her eyes. A small bird falls towards her, and she catches it before it can hit the ground. Smiling, she strokes it's head. "Hey there, little guy. Where did you come from?" The black bird just looks at her with his bright green eyes and chirps. She looks around, trying to find where it's nest is, but there's no trees anywhere near her. Suddenly, she hears thunder ringing in her ears, and the meadow goes dark and black clouds fill the sky, blocking the sun. She hears a strange hissing, and the trees and bushes surrounding the clearing start russling. The ground turns black as thousands of deadly black serpents cover the meadow. She looks around, trying to find a way to escape, but they are comming from all sides. Her eyes wide, she raises the bird up into the air. "Fly, please, you must fly! Go!" She urges. The baby bird flaps as hard as he can, but can't seem to lift off. The snakes reach her and start climbing her body. "Please, please! You have to live! You have to fly!" She cries, tears streaming down her face. The snakes reach her neck and cover her head and face. She feels them climbing up her arm to the small bird, but can't do anything. A frantic woman cries out to her, "Please, you must teach him to fly. You're the only one who can do it. He has no one else. Teach him!"

"Sakura, wake up. It's time for breakfast!" urged Kero as he shook his mistress awake.

Sakura grumbled grumpily and yawned. "Ok, ok, I'm up. Now go away and let me get dressed." Kero laughed as he floated out the room and down to the dining room. Sakura sighed and covered her eyes with her arm, thinking about her dream. "It's getting clearer. I wonder what it could mean." Sighing, she shrugs and gets up, figuring that she'd find out soon enough.

Climbing out of bed, she walks over to her wardrobe to try to find something suitable to wear. After several minutes of fierce debating with herself, she settled on a pink sundress with white blossoms that Tomoyo made for her. It had short flutter sleeves and a square neckline, and a pink sash around her waiste. A pair of small, white hoop earings, a white bracelet, and a pair of white ballet flats completed the look. After brushing her teeth and putting her waiste length hair up in a braid, she deemed herself presentable enough to venture from her room. She smiled and winked at the mirror on her dresser as she went to the door, "A Li woman always looks her best and does her worst." She recited smiling mischieviously.

Upon entering the dining room, she headed to her place near the head of the table. Yelan Li, as the current leader of the clan, sat at the head. Syaoran, as the heir, sat at her right, and Sakura, as his fiance and future mistress of the clan, sat at his right. The sisters sat at Yelan's left, in order from eldest to youngest, with the husbands sitting beside their wives. Toya, Yukito, Meilin, and Tomoyo sat towards the end of the table.

Syaoran turned and smiled at his fiance as she sat down next to him. "Good morning. Sleep well, Ying Fa?" He asked softly, using her chinese name affectionately.

Sakura smiled at him. "I slept very well, arigatou Xiao Lang. You?"

Syaoran smiled his crooked smile that he knew very well made Sakura go weak and leaned close so that his lips nearly brushed against her ear. "I slept exceptionally well, especially since I dreamed of you all night." He whispered before straightening up and grinning mischeviously at her, his eyes twinkling in laughter.

Sakura's face was bright red. "Syaoran! That was cruel.." She said, turning to her plate. The rest of the table chuckle, used to the couple's small displays. Because of the positions they held, the two young ones had to be very careful about how they acted, and so they were only ever openly affectionate in private.

After everyone finished eating, Yelan cleared her throat. "Xiao Lang and Sakura, you two will be leaving next week for England. I will go with you and take you to get your school things, and then you will spend a week there before heading to the school. I suggest you start packing, as you will be gone until Christmas. I expect you to come home during Christmas break, and you will be able to change out your clothes at that time. Now, you two will not only be representing the Li Clan, but also the Asian Magical Community. As such, you must look presentable. Meilin and Tomoyo will be taking you shopping today for a new wardrobe and any other necessities that they deem fit." Syaoran and Sakura silently groaned, dreading the outing with the two shoppoholics that they called family and advisors.

Yelan stood from the table, and everyone else followed. "Xiao Lang and Sakura, you are exempt from your lessons for the next two days. Remember, you represent the clan. Make us proud." She said. They bowed to her as she exited the room.

Straightening up, Meilin looked to Tomoyo and smiled. "Well, let's go shopping." She said.

Several hours later Syaoran wished he had never heard the muttering of that awful phrase. "Come on, Syaoran! Hurry up! It's four and we still haven't finished looking for you some decent clothes!" Meilin complained, pulling him to go faster. He simply sighed and complied, having had the fight knocked out of him hours prior.

Sakura giggled and spoke softly. "Don't worry, Xiao Lang. We're almost done. Then we can go back home and have a relaxing soak." She said, smiling.

Syaoran smiled at her and whispered, "I'd rather just spend time alone with you." That brought a bright smile to Sakura's face and, in turn, Syaoran's.

After the four returned to the manor, Syaoran and Sakura made excuses to the other two and snuck out to the garden behind the manor. They walked silently, hand in hand, each enjoying the peace brought by the other's company. They crossed the creek that flowed through the garden and sat down in the gazebo at the center. Sakura sighed happily as she leaned against Syaoran, who in turn put his arm around her shoulder. "Syao, what do you think Hogwarts will be like? Do you think it'll be difficult?" She asked.

Syaoran smiled at his young fiance. He could tell she was worried and felt the need to ease her worries. "It'll be ok. The magic will be different, but honestly, I think the hardest part will be keeping my hands off of you once we're out of sight of the elders.." He whispered into her hair, kissing the top of her head. Sakura blushed and looked up at him, smiling shyly. Grinning like the little wolf that was his namesake, he leaned in and began stealing small kisses from his little blossom. The two soon ended up in a heavy make out session, his hands trailing along her curves, and her fingers twisted in his hair. He slowly leaned her back so that she was laying on the bench and trailed kisses down her neck and collarbone, completely intoxicated by her scent and taste. Sakura sighed happily, a small keening noise leaving the back of her throat.

"Xiao Lang! Sakura! Dinner time!" Someone called from the main house. Syaoran groaned in disappointment, his forehead resting on her chest. Sakura sighed, "Well we might as well go back before they send a search party." She said, sitting up. Suddenly, she started giggling. Seeing Syaoran look at her in confusion, she explained. "Can you imagine what would have happened had your okaa-san seen us in that position? She would have had us wed and been asking for grandchildren before we left for Hogwarts!" She said, laughing. Syaoran merely sighed again, knowing it was true.

The couple headed back to the house, never noticing the blinking red light in the bushes, nor the soft "Hohohoho.."


	3. Summer Sadness

Harry sighed as he lay in the back yard of the Dursley's. He seemed to be doing that alot lately, sighing, that is. He put an arm over his eyes to protect them from the sun as he basked in the too warm warmth that the unforgiving ball of fire eminated. It was two weeks into the summer vacation, and he was bored out of his mind. According to Dumbledore, it was too risky for him to spend the summer elsewhere, and just as risky to send and receive mail. Harry ground his teeth as he recalled the benevolent smile the old codger had used as he explained that the isolation really was for Harry's own good. Harry snorted at the thought. "My own good, right. We see how well isolating me worked last year. And this year, Sirius can't.." Tensing at the thought of his deceased godfather, he stood up and brushed himself off, heading inside in order to find something to distract himself with.

His aunt, if one could call her that in good consience, really, was bustling around getting things ready for a dinner that evening. Vernon, her husband, was having some very important potential clients over, and she wanted everything to be perfect. After all, she was a normal woman with a perfect house, son, and husband, why shouldn't she show off? She turned and glared at the one dirty spot of her perfect life, who just so happened to be leaning against her clean counter and drinking water from a recently washed glass. "You, boy! Wash that glass when you're done with it. No, never mind! You're filthy! I'll do it. Just go upstairs. And don't mess anything up! I want you out of this house by four-thirty. The Jenkins will be here by five and I don't want you anywhere near here! I don't care what you have to do, just make yourself scarce!" She hissed, shooing him out of the kitchen.

Harry jogged upstairs and took a quick shower before throwing on a pair of ragged but clean hand-me-downs. He grabbed his money pouch full of british pounds that he'd exchanged for at gringots, and his wand and took to the streets.

He wandered around for a while, just taking in the sites of the places he rarely got to see despite having lived there for most of his life. He wandered absently into a video store and went over to the horror section where he spent the next half hour looking at vampire and werewolf films, chuckling at the muggle concepts of the creatures. Spotting one that looked promising, he picked it up and was reading the back of it when someone bumped into him, causing him to drop the movie. "Oh, sorry. Please excuse me." The stranger said as they both bent down to retrieve the movie.

When Harry straightened up, his eyes widened in shock. Right in from of him was Daphne Greengrass, a slythering in his year. Her eyes widened slightly in shock as well. "Potter! What the hell are you doing here?" She aked. She then looked at his clothes and wrinkled her nose, "And WHAT are you wearing? Don't you have ANY sense of pureblood pride?" She asked in disgust. Harry's cheeks colored slightly as he shrugged. "It's what I've got."

Daphne looked him up and down, and he fidgited uncomfortably under her scrutiny. "Oh well. Can't expect much else from a Gryffendor, I suppose." She looked at the movie in her hand, the one that Harry had been examining, and read the back of it. She let out a small laugh, "These muggles with their silly ideas. This is really funny." She shrugged and tossed the movie back to Harry as she walked off. "See you later, Potter." She called back as she sauntered out of the store.

Harry just stared after her in shock, still not able to wrap his mind around the fact that he had seen the quiet Slythering in a muggle video rental.


	4. Unlikely Truce

Harry's birthday came and went. He didn't even receive his Hogwarts letter. He had no clue how he was going to get his school things, or how he was going to get to King's Cross. Dumbledore must expect him to just sit back and trust that everyone else would do everything for him. What a laugh. How could he trust people who obviously didn't trust him? They didn't trust him to be able to handle the information about what he was destined to do. They expected him to just sit back and let everyone take care of everything, and then they would bring him out to do the finishing blow before hoarding him away again. Not a very pleasant idea, in his opinion.

He kicked a pebble as he walked through the park to where he was supposed to meet Daphne and some of the others. He and Daphne had met up accidently a few more times early in the summer before they started actually seeking each other out. Apparently Daphne was staying with some squib relatives while her parents and older brother were over seas on business. She had sneered as she speculated how it was obviously too much trouble to bring her along and let her wander on her own as she does anyway.

She really wasn't that bad once he got used to her. The two had many disagreements at first, but as time went on, there were less and less differences in opinion. He found himself seeking out her company, and her doing the same. They also discovered that a couple Ravenclaw halfblood siblings lived in the ares, as well as a Hufflepuff pureblood. The Ravenclaws were Cicilia and Jared Schaffer. Cicilia was a seventh year, and her younger brother Jared would be going into his fourth year. The Hufflepuff's name was William Warwick, and he was going into his fifth year. He knew of Ginny Weasely, but had few classes with her and no reason to interact.

Despite their seperate houses and age differences, the five got along well enough, and hanging out was something to do with people they didn't have to sensor around. Jared and William tended to stick to themselves, while Cissy, as she insisted they call her, Daphne, and Harry did things together.

Daphne and Cissy had been very surprised to learn that Harry had known absolutely nothing of the wizarding world until Hagrid had come to fetch him, and her appalled that no one had told him anything of his heritage as a wizard. He had been treated like a muggleborn, one with no past or heritage, and he was the so-called savior of the wizarding world! The two had commented that it was no wonder he managed to get himself into so much trouble. He was an acknowledged pureblood by the rest of society, but had no idea how to act, and so was cast off by many of the higher purebloods. Harry simply shrugged it off. He had gotten by so far without having to learn it so far, so he didn't really feel it that important. The girls had looked at each other knowingly, but shrugged it off. He was a Gryffendor, and as such, he would not learn anything until he was ready and willing.

Daphne and Cissy were already at the meeting place by the time he reached the park. The two girls meerely rolled their eyes when he apologized for his lateness and they all headed off to the movies to celebrate his birthday. "Hey, where are Jared and Billy?" He asked the two girls.

"Jared said something about them going to an arcade, I think." Cissy said, shrugging. Daphne snickered, "I think that they just got scared when they heard we are going to see a horror film." Harry chuckled, silently agreeing with Daphne. While the two boys weren't that much younger than the three, the difference in ages was still very visible at times like this.

After the film, which turned out to be more of a comedy for the three magic users, they went out for ice cream. As they sat at their table enjoying the sugary treat, Cissy turned to Harry. "So, what did you get on your NEWTS?" She asked.

Harry shrugged. "I dunno. I didn't get my Hogwarts letter. Dumbledore thinks it's to risky for me to get mail, so I suppose that he or the Weasleys are taking care of my school things."

Daphne turned to him, her cheeks lightly flushed in anger. "What?! He has no right! Dumbledore may be the headmaster, but he is not your legal nor magical guardian! Why, with the death of your godfather, there should have been a hearing to determine your new guardian, which you would have had to have been present for. He has no right to with hold your mail or grades! It's illegal!" She ranted, her eyes sparkling in anger.

Harry looked down and started playing with his icecream, overcome with grief at the mention of his late godfather. "I don't care." He said softly.

The two girls looked at each other and shook their heads sadly. "I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean to bring that up. Hey, lets go see if we can catch Billy and Jared at the arcade, ok?" Daphne said softly, standing. Cissy and Harry followed in suite, all three throwing away what was left of their ice creams as they headed out.


	5. What A Magical World

Sakura squealed happily as she tackled Eriol. "Eriol-kun! It's been so long! How have you been? I've missed you!" Syaoran snickered at his predicament while Yelan fought a smile. This behavior was not becomming of the future clan Mistress, but it was so fun to see her so excited that she didn't have the heart to reprimand the girl.

Eriol laughed at the girl on top of him. "Sakura-chan, it's good to see you. How have you and my cute little descendant been?" He asked, not being able to resist poking a jab at Syaoran.

Syaoran winced and growled at the sorcerer. "Oh, We've been great, Eriol-kun!" Sakura replied happily, unaware at the animosity behind her. "Oh, and Tomo-chan sends her love." She added, winking at the boy. Eriol's cheeks grew a light shade of pink and he cleared his throat, standing and helping Sakura up as well. "I see. Please, next time you see her, give her my best regards."

Sakura grinned and shook her head. "No can do. I'm under strict orders not to pass anything along. You have to do it yourself!" She said, her grin taking on a chesire quality. Syaoran shook his head when Eriol looked to him. He had been given the same orders. Eriol was tempted to ask Yelan, but upon examining the woman's imposing prescence, he thought better of it. Descendant or not, that woman was scary. He sighed, "I suppose I'll just have to do it myself then." He said, smiling as he began to plan out some elaborate plot. Sakura giggled and Syaoran shook his head in amusement.

Yelan looked at a clock on the wall of the airport and turned to the young sorcerers. "Children, we need to head to Eriol's and drop off your things so I can take you to get your school supplies. I'm leaving back to Hong Kong tomorrow, and I don't plan on rushing to get your things before I leave." She said. The three nodded and gathered the luggage before following her out of the airport to the limo waiting by the entrance. The driver got out and helped Syaoran and Eriol put the luggage in the trunk as Yelan and Sakura slipped into the back. The boys sat accross from them and they were off.

"So what's Hogwarts like, Eriol?" Sakura asked, her eyes burning with curiosity.

Eriol chuckled. "I can't recall to terribly much of the day-to-day life from Clow's memories, actually, but I remember a little. Hogwarts is a castle in Scotland, bordered by a lake on one side and a forest on the other. The lake has a giant squid and other creatures in it, while the forest houses many a dark and mischevious creature. The students are not allowed to enter it. The castle itself is magical. Changing staircases, suits of armor that talk and sing.. It's all very magical." he chuckled, gleaming what he could of the details in his memory not related to actual spells.

Sakura sighed happily as she imagined what Eriol was saying. "It sounds lovely." She said.

They pulled up to the mansion that was Eriol's and entered. Sakura smiled as she looked around the entrance to his home. It was decorated in blues and golds, all done very elegantly. There were old fashioned rugs and draperies with scenes from the tails of King Arthur on the walls. "Your home is absolutely beautiful, Eriol!" Sakura praised.

Eriol smiled gently. "Yes, it really is. Nakuru did a wonderful job decorating it. She had a lot of fun." He laughed. Just then, one shout of joy and one shout of horrified surprise echoed through the mansion. Nakuru flew down the stair, dragging Spinnel Sun by the tail. She took a flying leap and tackled Sakura. "Sakura-chan!! I've missed you!" She cried, hugging her.

Sakura laughed happily, hugging Nakuru just as tightly. "I've missed you too, Nakuru-chan! How have you been?"

Nakuru smiled and stood, helping Sakura up. "I'm doing well. It's just been so boring without you! It's especially hard to feed little Suppi sweets on my own." She said, her eyes narrowing slightly at the little black plushy-like beast. Spinel just looked blandly at her.

Sakura smiled and laughed. Eriol faced his guests. "If you will follow me, I'll show you to your rooms." He turned and led the procession up stairs.

On the second floor, Eriol led them to a hallway with different color doors. "These are the rooms I set aside especially for family." He said, smiling amiably at Syaoran who glared in return. "The brown door with the green vines is my cute little descendant's, the pink door with the white petals is Sakura-chan's, and the black door with the gold vines is Li-sama's. Your things should already be up here." He told the guests.

Yelan walked to her door and turned to the three. "You have half an hour to freshen up and change. We will be leaving for Diagon Alley at 11am sharp." She told them before entering her room and closing the door behind her.

Eriol smiled at the other two. "Your rooms are connected by a door in the middle. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He advised with a wink before walking off, humming a tune under his breath.

Sakura and Syaoran both blushed a bit at the implications before entering their rooms. Sakura was breathless when she saw hers. Her carpet and walls were white, as well as her dresser, closet, and desk. Her bed was a king size with a white comforter, pink pillows, and a pink translucent canopy hanging from the top of the posts. Her curtains were made of the same translucent pink material as her bed curtain. She opened her suitcase and searched through it, trying to find a suitable outfit for shopping. Not sure what type of clothing would be appropriate, she settled on a knee length pink skirt with matching shoes and a white blouse with pink vines embroidered on the hems and collar. She brushed out her hair and put it up in a braid, one white ribbon at the base and one pink ribbon at the tip. She applied a little lip gloss for shine, smiled charmingly in the mirror and winked before heading out into the hall and down the stairs to wait for the others.

Syaoran soon emerged from the staircase in a pair of green slacks with a white dress shirt, and Eriol was right behind him in blue slacks and a white turtleneck. Yelan came down last in a traditional red and gold Chinese Kimono. Eriol let Nakuru and Spinel know that they were leaving and the four were off to the shopping district of London.

It didn't take long to reach their destination. The driver quickly got out of the limo and opened the door for the four. In front of them was a small, battered pub call The Leaky Cauldron. Syaoran narrowed his eyes a bit at the unfamiliar aura being given off by the place. Yelan started forward, and Sakura walked close to Syaoran in her nervousness. Eriol brought up the rear, preferring to enjoy their reactions.

Yelan walked straight through the pub, ignoring the stares of the patrons. She nodded to the bar tender as they passed and went out the back into the trash yard. She took one of her battle fans out of her sleeve and pushed on some bricks with it. To the amazement of the two young Asian sorcerers, the bricks began to roll back and form a doorway. "Xiao Lang, Sakura, welcome to Diagon Alley." Yelan introduced before leading them into the street.

"Ok, I believe we will start with your school trunks, and from there your school books, robes, apothecary items, your wands, and then your familiars. Does this sound acceptable?" She asked, reading the list on the letters.

Syaoran, Sakura, and Eriol looked at each other. Seeing agreement in both of his companions eyes, Syaoran nodded. "That sounds acceptable, Mother."

Sakura looked around with wide eyes as they walked down the street. Everything looked so.. magical! Cliché, yes, but true. Their were brooms flying in a window, owls flying up and down the street, and a woman selling eye of newt and toe of frog off of a cart on the side of the street. The people were wearing robes and pointed hats. She even saw a woman with a stuffed vulture on top of her hat pulling a chubby boy their age along behind her.

Syaoran looked around, just as aware, but more wary. He noticed the looks his beautiful fiancé was receiving from many a male. He had to fight his urge to put a possessive arm around her and settled for glaring at the presumptuous males.

They entered a store, the bell above the door chiming. A large, muscular man came out of the back and smiled at them, wiping his hands on a rag. "Hey there Ma'am, kids." He greeted, nodding his head to them. "I'm Smithe, how can I help you today?"

Yelan looked to Eriol, letting him order what he thought they would need. "We'll take three three level trunks, two compartments on each level, and the third level we want aura accessible." He told the man.

Smithe nodded. "Alright, that's going to be fifty-five galleons a piece. They'll be done by two." He told them.

Yalen nodded. "See that they are. I want them made sturdy, the strongest material you have. One, I want embroidered with petals, the lock a cherry blossom. Another, plain embroidery with a wolf lock. The last one, I want sun embroidered with a half sun half moon lock." She instructed sternly, narrowing her eyes at him.

Smithe bowed with a smile. "Your wish is my command, Ma'am. They will be done by two."

Yelan nodded and turned, exiting the shop without another word, her head held high. After they had traveled a few feet from the shop, Sakura giggled softly. "That was quite a show, Li-sama." She said, smiling at the older woman. Yelan merely smirked at her.

Syaoran looked between the two in confusion. "What are you two talking about?" He asked.

Sakura giggled. "Syaoran, your Okaa-san was flirting with Smithe-san." She told him, smiling.

Syaoran winced and made a face. "Ew.. Mama.."

Yelan laughed softly. "Xiao Lang, remember, I may be your Mother, but I am first, foremost, and always a woman." She said. She and Sakura laughed while Eriol chuckled at Syaoran's expression.

The next stop was Flourish and Blotts book store. They went in and Yelan handed each of the children their book list. "Gather those, and any other interesting books on magicks that you might like to study. Do not limit yourselves to what is taught in this school." She told them. Syaoran, Eriol, and Sakura nodded and split up to find their books.

Eriol found his books and started browsing the other selections. He found a few books on rune magic that looked interesting and decided that he might like to look into it.

Syaoran also found his books quickly and happened upon a selection of books on battlemagic. He grabbed a copy of each he could find and was about to head to the check out when he heard Sakura's voice call out in distress. He put his books down and weaved through the shelves towards where he had heard her.

Sakura, being not quite so box-minded as her male companions, was all over the place. She found her Herbology and Potion books, but then noticed some books on Healing that she decided would be interesting, not to mention helpful considering her and her fiance's status. She then went to find her Divination book and saw a couple ancient books on Celestial Magick. She pulled them down and added them to her pile. She was looking at her list and headed to her next book when someone bumped into her, knocking her and her pile of books to the floor.

"Gomen Nasai!" she exclaimed as she sat up and began picking up her books. The boy who bumped into her was a tall, gangly fellow with bright red hair and more freckles than not.

"What? Is that an insult?!" He asked, turning red.

Sakura shook her head. "No, I apologize. It means 'I'm sorry.'" She held out her hand. "I'm Sakura Kinomoto." She said, smiling.

The boy smirked and grabbed her hand. "I'm Ron Weasley. I guess you've heard of me. Fought You-Know-Who and all that." He bragged.

Sakura tilted her head. "I'm sorry, but no, I've never heard of you. It's nice to meet you, though."

Ron leered at her and pulled her against him, grabbing her other wrist. He leaned his face close to hers. "Of course, it's always a pleasure to meet me. And you know, there are many other pleasures to be gained from meeting me." He said.

Sakura's eyes widened and she started struggling to get away. She tried to knee him, but he had her firmly pinned between his body and the bookcase. Her breathing became fast and shallow as she started panicking. She wasn't used to being helpless and unable to defend herself, and she couldn't think straight. "O-onegai, Syao.." She whispered, trembling.

Ron brushed his lips across her soft, pale cheek. "What was that, sweetheart?"

Sakura took a deep breath and screamed as loud as she could "Syaoran! Onegai! Xiao Lang!" She cried out and struggled for all she was worth.

Ron grew angry and pinned her down even harder when a fist came out of nowhere and knocked him clear across the room. Eriol stood their, panting, his eyes furious. "Don't you EVER lay a hand on her again, or I'll make sure you have no hands left." He whispered, unable to raise his voice for fear of loosing control.

Syaoran ran over and nelt down next to Sakura. "Sakura-chan, Ying-Fa, are you ok?" He asked, gathering her in his arms. She nodded shakily, still pale, but calming down. He looked up at the red head still on the floor and went to stand, growling, intent on causing major harm.

Sakura put a hand on his arm. "No, Xiao Lang. It's over, he can't hurt me. I just want to go." She said, burying her face in his neck.

Syaoran nodded and stood the two of them up. He passed her to Eriol's arms. "Take her to the front. I'll finish getting her school books." He told him, giving him a meaningful look. Eriol nodded solemnly and led her to the front, his arm around her protectively.

Syaoran turned to the boy who had gotten up off of the floor. He crossed the distance between them in two long strides and grabbed him by the collar, pushing him up against the bookcase.

Ron turned red in anger. "Hey, who do you think you are? Do you know who I am? I-" Syaoran banged him against the case and pressed his fist further into the boys throat.

He put his nose up to the boy's and growled softly. "I don't care who you are, or who you think you are, but I don't EVER want to see you touch her again. If I see you, or hear of you, or even suspect you of placing one finger on her, I WILL hunt you down, I WILL rip you to shreds, and I WILL kill you. Do I make myself clear?" When the redhead didn't answer, Syaoran drew a small dagger and pressed it against the boys throat, just hard enough to draw a thin line of blood. "I said, do I make myself clear?"

The boy whimpered and nodded slightly. Syaoran sneered in disgust at his cowardice and withdrew, throwing the boy to the ground. He wiped his blade clean with a piece of cloth before sheathing the dagger and walking away.

He gathered Sakura's books, collected the rest she would need, and met the others up at the front. He saw that his mother had collected his pile from where he left them. He nodded his thanks and they all checked out and left the bookstore.

"I think we all need a nice calming lunch and some tea." Yelan said, leading the three to a small café.

After they had a small lunch, she pulled out their letters and looked at the supply list. "We still need to get your robes, wands, animals, and ingredients." She said thoughtfully.

Sakura looked around and pointed right across the street. "Well, there's a robe shop." She said. The others looked to where she was pointing.

They paid their bill and crossed the street to Madam Malkin's Fine Robes. Entering, Yelan looked around and narrowed her eyes. It was a quaint little shop, but she wasn't sure if they could produce the quality needed for the Heir and future Mistress of the clan. A plump little witch waddled out. "Welcome, dears. Robes for Hogwarts?" She asked, looking the three over.

Yelan nodded. "Yes. And I want the robes made of the finest quality material with the strongest protections. I want them fire and spell resistant, stain resistant, and anything else you can add." She told the woman.

Madam Malkin nodded and ushered Sakura, Syaoran, and Eriol onto the platforms. Tape measurers flew all around, taking the most absurd measurements. After a bit the tape measurers flew off to the back and Madam Malkin followed them, telling the four that she'd only be a little while.

Half an hour later, she came back out with ten uniforms, and robes, and two hats for each student. They thanked her and left the store.

Next they went to the apothecary and bought their cauldrons and ingredients, Sakura picking up some extra for potions in her healing book she knew she'd want to try.

Then they went to the animal store. Syaoran picked out a beautiful brown falcon, and Eriol ended up with a reverse snow owl, one that was black with white spots. Sakura had been at a lost at what to buy when an odd white raven flew over and landed on her shoulder. It nuzzled at her cheek, causing her to laugh. She bought it and named it Plum, after Tomoyo, for its violet eyes.

Syaoran was studying his Falcon. He sighed "I don't know what to name him."

Sakura looked over and studied them for a moment before grinning evily. "Little Wolf." She said, cackling.

Syaoran's eyes shot up to meet hers in panic. "No! Not that! Do NOT name him that!" he exclaimed/begged.

Sakura smiled sweetly and called, "Little Wolf! Come here." She raised her arm and the falcon flew over and landed on her arm, nipping softly at her in affection. She giggled and smiled, petting him.

Syaoran glared at her. "You evil, evil, devil woman." Sakura merely cackled again.

Eriol laughed at the two of them. "Well, Sakura, since you seem to be naming them, what should my owl's name be?"

Sakura turned and studied it for a moment. "New Moon." She said decisively.

Eriol thought it over a moment before nodding his head. "I like it. New Moon it is."

Finally it was time for the three to get their wands. Yelan brought them to Olivander's Wands.

The old man had been very creepy. It took both Syaoran and Eriol to get Sakura out from behind Syaoran when it came her turn to get her wand.

Syaoran's wand was 12 ½ inch mahogany with a dragon heartstring and basilisk venom, great for dueling. Eriol's was 11 inch Elder with centaur tail hair and sundust, perfect for divination and transfiguration. Sakura, after many tries, ended up with 12 inch cherry wood with a liquid star and unicorn tear core, ideal combination for healing and divination.

The three left the store and met up with Yelan and headed back to the trunk shop to pick up their purchases.

Smithe had all three ready, just as he had promised. After a bit more flirting, Yelan paid the man and they all headed back to Eriol's mansion, exhausted from the day's events.

I know that that didn't seem like a long chapter, but trust me, it was to me.. -_-;; I hope you've enjoyed the story so far. This is what I've managed to get done over spring break, and I'm goint to attempt to keep up with this one, unlike the others. Let me know what you think. Criticism is not welcome. Constructive criticism is. If you don't know the difference, say good job and move on. Ciao!


	6. To Hogwarts School We Go

_"Please, please! You have to live! You have to fly!" Sakura cried, trying to throw the bird into the air. "Please, you have to fly!" She could feel the snakes tightening around her body, her vision going black. The bird flapped frantically, chirping in fear. "Please.. Fly.." she gasped out. As her world went dark, she heard a woman screaming "Please, you must teach him to fly. You're the only one who can do it. He has no one else. Teach him!" _

Sakura shot up in bed, gasping for air. She put a hand to her forehead to find it drenched in sweat.

Syaoran rolled over and looked up at her through sleep-filled eyes. Seeing her distress, he sat up and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright, Ying-Fa? Is there anything you need?" He asked, concerned.

She closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. "Iie, Xiao Lang. Thank you, but I'm fine. It's that vision again. It's even clearer. I can feel the snakes squeezing me, choking me. And that voice, it's clearer than ever." She said, her voice shaking a bit at the end.

Syaoran put an arm around her and drew her shaking form close. He kissed the top of her head and whispered, "It's ok, Ying-Fa. It'll turn out alright."

Sakura clung to his shirt and took a deep breath, taking in a lungful of his calming sent of musk and cedar. She smiled and sighed softly as he rubbed her back.

Once he was sure she was calm, he looked down at her and smirked. "So, what brings you to my bed, anyway?" He asked, teasingly.

Sakura blushed and looked down, playing with the bed cover, "Um.. ano.."

He lifted her chin and kissed her lips softly. "Hey there, never be shy with me. You're always welcome in my bed." He kissed her lips once again and then looked over at the clock. "Well, it's six, so we might as well go ahead and get ready. The train leaves at eleven." He slipped out from under the covers, grabbed his clothes, and with one last kiss left to the bathroom to get a shower.

Sakura laid back on the bed, content to relax surrounded by her lover's scent. Once she had calmed sufficiently, she rose and went to her own room to shower and get ready. After her shower, she wrapped her body and hair in towels and went to her closet to find something to wear. As she was debating, her door banged open and she twirled to face it, letting out a small scream and clutching her towel close. "Hi Hi Saku-chan!" Sang Nakuru, smiling.

"What's wrong?!" demanded Syaoran, bursting through the doors and into the room after hearing Sakura scream. He looked from Sakura to Nakuru and back to Sakura. The two froze in shock for a moment before Sakura let out a piercing scream, running and hiding herself in her closet. Syaoran's face turned lobster red as he yelled a frantic "Sorry!" and ran out the room, slamming the door behind him.

Nakuru let out a loud laugh as she skipped over to the closet. Looking in, she saw a completely red Sakura curled in the corner of the closet. She giggled and patted Sakura. "I take it that was the first time he saw you not fully clothed?" She asked. Sakura nodded, hiding her face in her knees. Nakuru laughed again and pulled her up and out of her closet. "Don't worry about it. He'd have seen you soon enough anyway." She teased, winking. "Ok, now, let's see.." She began rummaging through the closet, cackling softly in a way that reminded Sakura of Tomoyo.

Eriol chuckled as he looked at his descendant. The two were in Syaoran's room, and Eriol was leaning against the wall while Syaoran sat on his bed, a pink tinge still in his cheeks. "So, how'd she look?" He asked, unable to resist teasing his relative.

Syaoran's face flamed back up. "She was gorgeous, of course." He said, getting up and going to his closet, trying to figure out what to wear for the trip to Hogwarts.

Eriol chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Syaoran. I'm sure she didn't mind. You two will have to get used to the idea of seeing each other eventually. By next year if Yelan has her say." He laughed.

Syaoran sighed, knowing that he was correct on that point. "So, is there some sort of welcome dinner when we arrive?" He asked, searching through his clothes.

Eriol nodded. "Yes, but all of the students change into their uniforms on the train, so we'll all be dressed in school wear. Just wear something inconspicuous so we can get through the non-magical part of the station without drawing too much attention." Eriol advised before leaving to go finish getting ready.

Syaoran shook his head and finally settled on a pair of brown slacks, a green button up shirt, and brown shoes. Running a hand through his hair, he finished packing his trunk and brought it down to the entrance hall where Eriol was already waiting.

The two talked about the arrival procedure for Hogwarts as they waited on the last member of their party. A few minutes later Sakura came down. She was wearing a white skirt with a green and white Chinese top and a pair of cute green and white tennis shoes. Her hair was up in a bun with a sixteen inch trail, the bun tied with a green ribbon.

"Hey guys, sorry we kept you waiting. Are we all ready to go?" She asked, walking up to them and kissing Syaoran on the cheek.

"We're ready. We were just going over the procedures." explained Eriol. Sakura nodded and the three headed out.

King's Cross was a good forty-five minutes away, and the three arrived at ten o'clock. The driver quickly loaded their trunks and animals onto trolleys and the three started to make their way through the station. Sakura counted the platforms as they passed. "Five.. Six.. Seven.. Eight.. Nine.. Te- wait." She checked her ticket. "Nine and three-quarters?" She looked around in confusion.

Eriol chuckled and Syaoran smiled at the cute picture she made as she looked up and down between the platform numbers and the ticket. He put an arm around her and guided her to the column between platforms nine and ten. "We'll be going through here. It's an illusion, so we just need to walk through. Apparently you can only get through if you already know it's there."

Sakura's eyes lit up in understanding. Eriol turned his cart and calmly pushed it through the barrier. Sakura followed and Syaoran brought up the rear. Sakura looked around, struggling not to stare wide-eyed at the scene. She kept repeating what Yelan told her in her mind. 'Li women do not stare wide-eyed. Li women are always in control of the situation. Li women do not show their surprise. Li women are confident and know what to do at all times. Li women look straight ahead, they do not gander like a common goose.' She continued repeating lines as they walked to the train and boarded.

The three walked until they found a compartment near the back that was empty. The boys put the trunks up top as Sakura situated their birds. They settled in, Sakura and Syaoran on one seat and Eriol across from them. Sakura leaned against Syaoran and watched the people going about outside of the window. She saw a regal looking blonde man with a beautiful blonde wife saying their goodbyes to an equally handsome son that was a perfect mixture of the two. A little further down she saw the woman with a vulture on her hat bidding a boy farewell. She was watching the two when she saw a flash of red out the corner of her eyes. Looking towards the platform entrance, she saw a family of redheads and coming onto the platform. She tensed as she recognized the older boy as the one who had assaulted her in the bookstore.

Feeling her tense, Syaoran looked down at her in concern. Squeezing her hand, he leaned down and whispered into her ear, "Are you alright, Ying-Fa?" She shook her head, still staring out the window. Syaoran looked to where she was staring and gave a low, threatening growl. Eriol, curious as to what had upset the two, followed their gaze and let out a small growl of his own. "Don't worry, Ying-Fa. You're safe. I'll dismember him before he touches you again." growled Syaoran, Eriol nodding in agreement.

Sakura shook her head. "No, it won't come to that. He won't be able to get me pinned like that again. I won't let him have that kind of power over me." she stated, her voice growing strong as her expression became one of strength and determination. "I was raised to be a figure of power and respect. I won't let some common weasel make me fearful." Syaoran smiled and kissed the top of her head, and Eriol nodded with a smile, both approving her sentiments.

The three began talking of what to expect in the coming year as the train started moving. A half hour later as Eriol was explaining the concept of Rune Magic, the door to the compartment slid open and three Hogwarts students walked in dressed in black robes with green badges on their robes. One was the blonde Sakura had seen on the platform earlier, and he had a golden badge with a P in addition to his green badge. The others were a tiny black haired girl with an upturned nose, and a slim Italian boy with olive skin and long, curly black hair pulled back into a low ponytail. The three Hogwarts students looked to the three sorcerers, their faces bored, but Syaoran and Sakura could see the surprise in their eyes.

* * *

Draco looked over the newcomers, hiding his surprise. There were two boys and one girl sitting in the compartment that was normally left vacant. The one that sat by himself had dark hair and dark blue eyes. He gave off a feeling of wisdom as well as cunning. His eyes were slightly narrow, as if he was of part asian descent. His slightly upturned lip and steady, calculating gaze tipped the Slytherins off that they were meeting one of their own.

Draco looked over at the other boy. He had dark features as well, but his were clearly asian, most likely Chinese. He had dark chocolate hair and amber eyes. He was lean but muscular, and his eyes were cold and measuring, as if gauging whether they were a threat. He gave off a feeling of coldness and danger, as if there was a dragon lurking just underneath the surface, waiting to be angered.

The last of the trio is who really caught Draco's attention. Sitting beside the cold one was a warm, lively eyed beauty. She was very dainty compared to the other two, and clearly Japanese. She had long honey-colored hair and bright green eyes, the kind you would find in a well kept, freshly watered garden. She had light silky skin, and a very feminine body with soft but gracious curves. She had a small but cheerful smile on her soft pink lips, and she was obviously full of life and her still form nearly vibrated with poorly controlled energy.

A small, descrete tap on the back from Pansy let him know that he had been looking a second too long without saying anything. His head up and his posture exhibiting his breeding, he introduced himself. "I'm Draco Malfoy. This is Pansy Parkison," he nodded to his left and Pansy gave a polite nod. "and Blaise Zabini." Blaise gave a small nod.

The three newcomers rose and the blue-eyed male spoke up. "I'm Eriol Hiragawa, and this is Syaoran Li and Sakura Kinomoto." He said. Syaoran gave a slight bow, still managing to look imposing, "Li." Sakura gave a slightly deeper bow, but maintained a presence that demanded respect. "You may call me Sakura. It is a pleasure to meet you." She smiled kindly, full of warmth.

Eriol gestured at the seats. "Would you like to join us? There's plenty of room." He said. When the three Hogwarts students nodded, he moved over and joined Syaoran and Sakura on one side while the Slytherins sat on the other.

Sakura smiled at Pansy. "You're hairpiece is lovely. Fifteenth century, isn't it?" She asked, admiring the butterfly hair comb the girl wore.

Pansy smiled at Sakura, raising one hand to touch the comb fondly. "As a matter of fact, yes, it is. It was commissioned for my ancestor for his bride as a wedding gift. It's been passed down through the generations from mother to daughter ever since, given on the eve of her betrothal being finalized."

Sakura grinned slyly. "I see." she leaned in closer and Pansy did the same on reflex. "And for you to be wearing it so proudly, you must be very happy with your match."

Pansy unsuccessfully fought a blush. "Yes, as a matter of fact. I am." She looked down shyly for a moment before remembering where she was and quickly raised her head back up. Sakura merely giggled and smiled kindly.

"So, what house are you three in?" She asked.

Draco spoke up. "We're in Slytherin, greatest of Hogwarts four." He said proudly. The other two nodded in agreement.

Li raised his eyebrows here. "What are the requirements for each?" He asked, curious.

"Well, Hufflepuff is full of bumbling idiots, Gryffendor for the foolish, Ravenclaw for the know-it-alls, and Slythering for the cunning and powerful." Pansy said haughtily.

Eriol chuckled. "Allow me to translate. Hufflepuff is for the hardworking and loyal. The ones who tend to help behind the scenes. They don't care about spotlight, rather they're the backbone."

Li and Eriol both smirked at Sakura. "You." Sakura blushed and laughed at the two. Pansy and Draco looked a bit disappointed at the thought while Blaise merely seemed slightly amused at the other two.

Eriol continued. "Gryffendor is for the brave hearts full of courage and charisma, those with the potential to be great leaders."

Sakura smiled up at Li, her eyes full of something the Slytherins couldn't quite see. "That would be you." Li hned, a barely noticeable blush creeping up on his cheeks as he looked away. Sakura chuckled silently.

Draco raised and eyebrow. "You sound proud of him. The Gryffendorks are not smart, they foolishly rush into things and always get themselves hurt, especially the golden trio, Harry Potter and his gang of misfits." he sneered.

Sakura's back straightened and she looked at him sternly. "The traits of courage and leadership are not something to scoff at. They can be great qualities if one has the knowledge on how to use them. Just because your classmates have no knowledge of how to use them, does not mean that everyone with the same traits is just as ignorant." She told him, glowering.

Draco bowed his head slightly in apology. "I apologize, that comment was presumptuous of me." Sakura nodded in acceptance and sat back. Li gave her a discreet but proud glance, and she gave him a small smile back.

Eriol smiled at the exchange and continued. "Ravenclaw is for the wise, those who prize knowledge and love learning. And finally, Slytherin, for the proud ones with a sense of history, family, and power. The ones who are cunning and most fit for surviving under any climate."

Li and Sakura both smirked at him this time. "I know where you are going." Sakura said, her voice full of amusement. Li nodded, smirking widely. Eriol merely gave an amiable smile that had the others in the compartment shivering.

Blaise then spoke up for the first time since the Slytherins had entered into the compartment. "So why are you three coming to Hogwarts?" his voice was neutral and would be monotone if it weren't for how soft it was.

Eriol turned to the quiet boy. "Your professors thought it would be a good experience for the students to experience different cultures and magicks. Our magic is not quite like yours. There is no school for us, rather we have to learn ourselves and from elders we come across. Our magic differs even from person to person, so what one may learn easily, another may take years or may not be able to learn at all. On our side, we wanted to learn a bit of your magic. It may prove useful." He said, smiling disarmingly at the three. They tensed, recognizing the smile for what it was, a manipulative tool to get others to lower their guard. The Slytherins knew without a doubt that he was not one to trifle with.

Draco then looked at the clock on the wall and realized the time. "Pansy and I aught to get to the Prefect compartment." He said, standing. The other two Slytherins followed his lead as well as the three foreign ones. "It was nice meeting you." He said, reaching out his hand to Li, acknowledging him as the leader of the three.

Li studied him for a moment before reaching out and taking Draco's hand in his, giving it a firm shake. Sakura smiled and spoke up from Li's side. "It was very nice meeting you, as well. We hope to see you at school."

Draco nodded and left the compartment, the other two following him. After closing the door behind them, they walked down the train a ways, silently agreeing that they would discuss things later when they were alone. After dropping Blaise off in a compartment with some other Slytherins, Draco and Pansy headed to the prefect compartment, steeling themselves for a good half hour of boredom.

* * *

Harry sighed for the umpteenth time as he gazed out the window. It was eight am Friday, September 1st, and he was still on private drive wondering if he had been forgotten about. He heard an irritated hoot and turned to look at his loyal owl. "I'm sorry Hedwig, there's nothing I can do. The Dursleys will kill me if I let you out, and I'm not entirely sure that we've not been forgotten." Hedwig looked at him disapprovingly and hooted again before turning in her cage, trying to stretch her legs.

Harry frowned, his poor Hedwig had been caged up all summer, and he was worried about what it might have done to her. Atleast in years before he had been able to let her out every now and then, but this time she had had to be locked up all summer. He had wanted to let her fly to Ron's or Hermione's, but his Uncle Vernon had confiscated the key to the cage before they had even left King's Cross.

Harry slid off of his bed and kneeled on the floor, pulling up the loose floor board. Taking out his invisibility cloak, wand, and photo album, he replaced the floor board and wrapped the wand and album in the cloak. He stood up and walked quickly to his bureaux, taking out the black and silver duffle bag that had been a birthday present from Cissy. He then changed into a fitting pair of jeans and a tight black turtleneck with no sleeves and a green lightening bold on the chest where a pocket might have been. The shirt had been a gag-gift from Jared, but Harry loved it none the less. He slipped on his new pair of black and white trainers and tied his now shoulder-length hair back and slipped on a light, white wind-breaker.

Glancing in a broken mirror on his wall, he was pleased to note that he looked fairly decent. Hefting his bag over his shoulder, he turned to the owl. "Alright Hedwig, I'm done waiting, we're getting to King's Cross one way or another." He said, grabbing the cage. Hedwig hooted happily as he walked to his door and started pounding on it.

As he predicted, his Uncle Vernon was soon heard stomping up the stairs like a raging bull. The sound of several locks being unlocked was heard and Harry stood back as the door swung open. His uncle stood in the doorway, his face red and his arm swung back and poised to come raining down on his 'ungrateful freak nephew.' "Why you ungrateful fre-"

He was cut off as a wand was pointed in his face. "Alright Uncle, this is how it's going to work. I'm sixteen, trained enough to be dangerous. I have a wand. If I use it, I MIGHT be expelled. If I don't, I won't be going anyway, so guess which I'm going to choose. We are going to go downstairs and get my trunk from the cupboard. Then we are going to get in the car, and you are going to drive me to King's Cross, where you will leave me and pick me up at the end of the school year. The time in between, you will be rid of me and won't have to worry about my 'unnaturalness' rubbing off on your precious family. Do we have an agreement?" He finished, his expression emotionless.

Vernon turned a delightful shade of purple and opened his mouth to yell, but decided against it when his nephew waved his wand a bit. Turning around, he stomped back down the stairs, yelling and hollering about ungrateful freak nephews. Harry merely smirked as he followed behind his Uncle, half grateful he had been spending so much time with Daphne that summer, and half grateful that his Uncle hadn't noticed his brand name, brand new clothing that he had purchased with the money he had converted last spring before coming back to his prison.

He arrived on the platform five minutes to ten and, after letting Hedwig out so she could stretch her wings by flying to Hogwarts, boarded the train. Knowing that Hermione and Ron would be in the prefect compartment, and not in the mood to deal with them, he walked to the back of train and found an empty compartment. Closing the door, he put his trunk overhead and settled in, pulling out an old defense book to review.

About an hour into the ride, the door to the compartment opened and Neville and Luna walked in. He looked at Harry in surprise and smiled. "Hey Harry! It's good to see you. Hermione and Ron said that you wouldn't be riding the train this year." He said, sitting across from Harry.

Harry smiled, silently fuming inside that Ron and Hermione had known what was going on and hadn't helped, or at least informed him. "Hey Neville. Good to see you."

Luna closed the door behind her and sat beside Neville, smiling. "Hello Harry, I see the Horncrumples didn't get you this summer." She said in her own wistful way.

Harry hid a smile. "Thanks Luna."

The three sat in the compartment and talked amongst themselves. Several hours later, Neville and Luna got up to change. Luna walked out of the compartment, and Neville looked at Harry. "Aren't you going to change?" He asked.

Harry laughed a bit. "I've grown a bit over the summer, and no one showed up to take me to get my supplies, and my relatives certainly weren't going to take me." He said.

Neville's eyes hardened a bit at the mention of the circumstance with Harry's relatives.. "You know, Harry, we're about the same size now. You can borrow one of mine and we can mail order your things tonight. You should be able to get them by Sunday night." He said, pulling out an extra uniform.

Neville was right. Though he was a bit taller than Harry, at 5'9, he had lost his baby fat and toned up from training in the DA and over the summer. Harry was a petite 5'6" from years of malnutrition and neglect, but he was fit from training, yard work, and the working out he had done over the summer.

Harry slipped on the uniform and cast a temporary charm to have the clothes fit. It wouldn't last long, and could be removed easily, but it served the purpose of him having a uniform for the feast.

Luna came back in a few moments later and the three relaxed until the train came to a stop. Harry exited the train with the other two, amazed that they hadn't run into Malfoy on the ride. As they walked over to the carriages, Harry noticed three older students by the boats and stopped, realizing that he didn't recognize him. "Hey, Neville, Luna, do you know who they are?" He asked. Luna and Neville stopped and turned.

"No, I've never seen them." said Neville, Luna agreeing with him. They watched as the three talked to Hagrid. Hagrid gestured towards the boats, and one of the boys, the one with dark brown hair, shook his head emphatically after examining the floating crafts. The dark haired one laughed while the girl smiled, looking like she agreed with the negative. The dark haired boy pointed at the carriages and the other two nodded before heading over and climbing in one.

Harry, Luna, and Neville looked at each other and laughed before walking quickly over to the carriages and claiming one for themselves.


End file.
